Canvas panel for artists



May 17, 1949. s. si v 2,470,416

CANVAS PANEL FOR ARTISTS Filed Nov. 10. 1947 INVENTOR. 5 [LIVER AZ'TUHATEY Patented May 17, 1949 CANVAS PANEL FOR ARTISTS Stan: Silver, New- York, Y2, assignon to Master Technique. Board 00., New York, N. Y.

Application- November 10, 194.7,, Serial No., 185,004

2 Glaims. (01. 41-4) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in canvas panels for artists use.

The invention has, been. made: with the idea of affording the artist all the advantages of bothof two" previous known devices, to wit, what is known as a canvas stretcher; and what is known as a canvas panel or canvas board panel and to accomplish this by devising a novel canvas panel fabricable at the low cost characteristic of a canvas -board panel.

A canvas stretcher is a wooden frame to which the artist secures; as by tacks, clamps, or the like; the marginal portions oi the canvas; Various types of such stretchers are known; some to be used incidental to stretching the canvas so that when finally secured to the frame the canvas is tautly stretched in all directions across its expause; and others havingwedge, screw or analogous means for tautenin'g the canvas by relatively moving the frame members after securing the canvas to one ormore or said members.

Canvas stretchers aflord the artist a perfect working surface, due to the slight give of the canvas under pressure of the brush. While the well-made canvas stretcher will not warp, the cheaper ones are apt to lose their shape. A major disadvantage in this regard may be summed up by pointing out that the relatively high cost of at well mad'e and dependable stretcher; as compared to a canvas-board panel, is as great as four to one.

A disadvantage of less consequence is the weight and bull: of the stretcher. Its bulk doesnot permit it to be carried, in assembled condition, in a paint box; and so the artist has to stretch the canvas in the held, with considerable loss of time and effort. After the canvas painted, it must becarried carefully, to avoid smndging; whereas in the case of a: canvas-board panel, the latter is merely inserted in special grooves the paint box.

A further disadvantage of a canvas stretcher is that its bulk: gives the artist considerable difficulty in moving about while handling more than: one stretcher.

Moreover; dimculties in stretching, while slight, do exist. For instance, even the case of a stretcher of the kind having a slotted joint and tautening keys, too much pressure on the" keys may result in cracking the stretcher at slotted joint or in a; tearing of a light weightcanvas.-

The canvas-board panel came into existence for the purpose at adorning an amateur artist a readyto-paint canvas surface. Such advantage is secondary, however; to the fact that the low cost of such panel brings it within the purchasiing range of. the bulk of the painting public. Panels are made at low cost duegto the easeand speed ofmanuf'acture; The amateur is primarily concerned that the panel requires no preparation, and is compa The principal objection shared by all the users of the canvas-board panel is that it may warp severely, making; it unsightly when out of: a frame. Also, the brush responds sluggishly; in comparison with its response when applied to a stretched canvas: Moreover; a panel dropped and striking at a corner will become dog-eared' and is otherwise more easily damaged than if on a stretcher;

The canvas panel of the present invention is characterized by an appearance somewhat similar to the previous canvas board panel, and whilepossibly of slightly higher cost of manu-- facture than theprevious canvas-board panel, has the basically advantageous features of being compact and light weight, of presenting a highly taut ready to-pai-nt. canvas surface, of maintainin such surface highly taut yet extended for that immediate and sensitive response to brush pressure typical of canvas tight on a stretcher, of beingim-mune to. warping, of being marginally protected against edge or corner damage or any kind, and of being capable of being fabricated at a fractionof the cost of a comparable stretcher.

A feature of the invention is a simple and inexpensive sk'el etal: stretcher means inbuilt into the new canvas panel, in the form of astifi' yet light wei ght one-piece endless frame, as one made of asingle bent length of a metal wire of a diameter of the order of about one-eighth of an inch. This frame is imbedded in the canvas, around the four sides of a central area thereof marking the surface to be painted (assuming, for example, that said area is a quadrilateral onek by lapping over the four sides of the frame marginal lengths of the canvas and then laying such lengths around the inner bounds of the trame and suitably securing themto the: underside of the canvas, as by an adhesive,

this is completed, and preferably following completion of an additional operation, that or adhesively afi-xing a cover sheet oi a suitable paper to the rear side of the new panel, for covering or substantially covering the portions of said lapped over andlaid down mar gfnal lengths of the canvas, at the back of thepanel, the new article is: ready for marketing.

3 As will be understood, the stretching of the canvas over the frame to be imbedded therein pursuant to the invention may be perfectly done, and to permanently endure, and yet at relatively trifling cost, at the factory.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 shows, in front elevation and partially broken away, a canvas panel pursuant to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 shows the frame, as shaped before the canvas is applied.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view, partially in section, with such sectional showing taken substantially on the line l4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an even more enlarged detail view,

in section, and taken say on said line 44, but

showing only one side portion of the panel.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary showing of a corner portion of the canvas, for illustrating a diagonal cut applied thereto relative to the frame location, the latter indicated in dot and dash.

Fig. '7 is a similar view to Fig. 5, showing a modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawing more in detail, the wire frame It! should be of heavy enough gauge to resist the pull of the canvas ll. Its opposite ends are secured together, as by welding at IU. While a wire frame is now favored, a plastic frame might be used.

The corners of the frame I0 should be as square as possible, and with the four sides slightly bowed outward, as shown in Fig. 3, to allow for resilient contraction when the canvas is tautened.

Before applying the canvas l I to the frame, the former is cut to size, allowing an extra inch all around. Thus the canvas for a frame 10 x 16" would be cut to 14" x 18'.

The next step, skiving or splitting, depends solely on the weight of the canvas used. This entails shaving off part of the thickness of the marginal lengths of the canvas where they are to be folded over flat against the back of the main central part of the canvas spanning the front of the panel. Heavy canvas must thus be thinned or it will show through at the face of the panel.

The next step is to cut the four corners of the canvas 1 l diagonally and inwardly, as best shown in Fig. 6 at l2, relative to the later placement of the frame It as indicated in dot and dash in this View.

Employing preferably a hot animal glue for an adhesive, the canvas l is made ready for mounting on the frame ill. Such adhesive, indicated in Fig. 4 at M, is desirably applied by putting the canvas ii through a glue coating machine, to apply the adhesive all over the side of the canvas opposite to that seen in Fig. 1; and the canvas is laid down flat with its adhesive coated side uppermost.

The frame In is then laid down on the thus disposed canvas H, and centered thereon. The longer marginal lengths I5 are flapped over the frame Iii. Care is taken that the now upper side of the canvas II is sitting flat against the now base of the frame; which can be done by running the fingernails along said marginal lengths I5, pushing said lengths in and somewhat under the wire of the frame where the lateral rotundity of the wire diverges upwardly from the canvas.

Such securement of the longer marginal lengths l5 of the canvas H is complete when the operation just above detailed is terminated at both ends of said lengths I5, said ends being forced in toward the inner sides of the frame corners, thereby setting up four small diverging folds as indicated by the dotted lines at l2 in Fig. 6,

to pile up four small triangular plies of the canvas at the meeting portions of a marginal length I5 and an adjoining short marginal length IS, in preparation for next flapping the two lengths I6 over the frame Ill. These plies contract the canvas at the small zone where the longer marginal lengths l5, first, and the shorter marginal lengths l6, next, have to reduce materially in areal extent, that is, where the ends of these lengths are pressed into the inner sides of the frame corners.

The result is as shown in Fig. 2, where the said shorter marginal lengths [6 are illustrated as finally overlapping the ends of the longer marginal lengths l5; the end edges of said shorter lengths, established by cuts [2, bein marked 12 in this view. It should be noted that the cuts, [2 do not break the integrity of the canvas II where the latter extends around the rotundity of the wire of the frame l0; and that such cuts cannot prolong themselves rippingly of the canvas, due to the four-ply structures set up at each frame corner by the folds l2 as above explained, such structures located opposite the inner ends of the cuts l2.

In laying down the shorter marginal lengths l B of the canvas II, the same precautions are taken as above pointed out in connection with the laying down of the longer marginal lengths [5; particularly the use of the fingernails as explained.

When all the above has been done, the panel is stacked with a number of its fellows, and all are allowed to dry.

When the adhesive of a panel has been dried and hardened perfectly, the canvas H is shrunk, This is done by spraying hot water on the face of the canvas II, that is, the side thereof seen in Fig. 1. A suitable substance or substances may be dissolved in the water, to act as an additional shrinking agent.

The panel is then stacked with a number of its fellows treated as last explained, and all are allowed to dry and shrink.

The shrinking action is more active in one direction than the other; therefore the frame H1 is subject to greater strain in one direction across the same than in a direction perpendicular to the former direction. To obviate this difiiculty, the canvas II is out so that it will mainly shrink lengthwise rather than widthwise of the frame, thereby to avoid buckling of the longer sides of the frame. That is, the canvas H is cut so that the warp will run lengthwise of the frame H3.

The panel is shown as finally backed by a paper sheet ll. The backing paper should be of approximately 40-lb. stock. Such stock is limp and fairly absorbent. If the paper is even slightly inflexible, it may, when it is attached, by an adhesive coating applied thereto, draw together the marginal lengths 15 and 16 and the portions of the canvas II facing such lengths; producing an undesirable relief on the front side of the panel. Any glue lumps or loose threads will likewise act. Care should be taken in regard to these possible sources of trouble; and, furthermore, just before the paper sheet I 7 is applied, its adhesively coated side should be wiped flat and clear of any air bubbles which may have been formed.

After application of the paper sheet [7, the panel is ready to be packed for sale.

In Fig. 7 an intermediate sheet of paper I! is shown adjacent the back face and the canvas l I and the marginal lengths l5 are shown to be glued to this intermediate sheet Il The backing sheet [1 is shown to be glued to the marginal lengths l5 and to the back surface of the intermediate sheet fl This arrangement eliminates the need of gluing the marginal sheets directly to the back face of the canvas ll; therefore canvas which may be sensitive to the fluid in the glue will not leave any ridge or welt at the front of the canvas.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. An artists canvas panel, comprising a single layer canvas sheet impregnated with animal glue along the whole of one of its surfaces and a continuous rigid metal wire frame of lesser length and width than said canvas sheet, said sheet stretched over and secured at its marginal ends by the said glue around the said rigid frame, said frame defining the periphery of the panel.

2. An artists canvas panel, comprising a single layer canvas sheet impregnated with animal glue along the Whole of one of its surfaces and a continuous rigid frame of lesser length and width than said sheet, said sheet stretched over and secured at its marginal edges by the said glue around the said rigid frame, said frame defining the periphery of said canvas panel.

STAN SILVER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 386,970 De Planque July 31, 1888 685,511 Gardner Oct. 29, 1901 921,246 Haskins May 11, 1909 1,241,866 Long Oct. 2, 1917 1,334,879 Zinser Mar. 23, 1920 1,358,957 Jelley Nov. 16, 1920 1,616,445 Francis Feb. 8, 1927 1,821,824 Woodward Sept. 1, 1931 1,963,393 Woodall June 19, 1934 2,367,367 Olson Jan. 16, 1945 2,370,874 Playford Mar. 6, 1945 

